IERNA's Heating & Cooling Blog : Archive for August, 2014

Many people are familiar with traditional central air conditioning systems that blow cool air through the vents in a home. Central air conditioning is installed in two parts, an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The inside evaporator unit removes heat from the air, as a blower fan blows cool air into the home through the ductwork. Heat then releases outside at the condenser unit. However, some homes are not built with ductwork, and homeowners may look for another solution. While ductwork installation may be a possibility, this takes up time and involves extensive renovations.

Ductless cooling provides whole-home cooling without the need for a built-in home air distribution system. Ductless cooling uses the same components to cool a home as central air conditioner, but the outdoor unit is connected to multiple indoor air handlers. Each handler contains an evaporator as well as a blower fan to distribute air. These units are mounted high on the wall or suspended from the ceiling, so cool air blows directly into the room.

Who Needs Ductless Cooling in Tampa?

Ductless cooling is most often used by homeowners with older homes in which adding ductwork may be difficult. Or, if you have a new room addition, you may not have the time or energy to make any more renovations, and ductless cooling is the most efficient way to cool the entire room without extending the ductwork.

Ductless air conditioners have many benefits to homeowners. Ductless mini splits are usually very energy efficient, saving homeowners a lot of money on cooling costs over less efficient options like window air conditioners. Furthermore, a ductless cooling system gives homeowners the benefit of zone control. If one person wants to keep the temperature higher in a particular area, or zone, they can turn the temperature up in that area only, so the rest of the house can stay cooler. Another benefit of ductless cooling is the fact that ductless air conditioners provide both heating and cooling.

Ductless cooling is great for many homes, but it may not be for everyone.

You should talk to a professional technician to decide whether installing ductless cooling in your Tampa home is the right choice. Call the experts at Ierna’s Heating & Cooling today!

High indoor air quality is an important part of your overall comfort. There are a number of air cleaners available for whole-home use, and sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming when trying to determine which one is the best fit for you. Today we are going to highlight HEPA filters, but remember that for all your air filtration needs, you want to call on the professionals who can help you: Ierna’s Heating and Cooling.

What Does HEPA Stand For?

HEPA stands for high efficiency particulate air.

How Efficient Is a HEPA filter?

A true HEPA filter is 99.97% efficient. HEPA filters can screen out particles as small as 0.3 microns, which are the hardest microns to trap. Interestingly, this size micron is perfect for entrance into the human body, which is why the size is important. To give perspective on this size, a human hair ranges anywhere from 70-100 microns. HEPA filters capture allergens, dust, dirt and some bacteria and viruses.

What Is the Construction of a HEPA Filter?

A HEPA filter will come in a square frame, and the filter medium will be pleated. The material used for the filter is a paper-like, glass-fiber filter material, and pleats are in a “V” configuration with corrugated aluminum separators between the pleats; pleating helps to trap airborne particles more successfully.

What Are the Benefits of HEPA Filters?

The main benefit of installing a whole-home HEPA filter is increased indoor air quality, particularly for allergy sufferers. Additionally, by capturing some bacteria and viruses, HEPA filters can also increase your overall health. Due to their tight weave and pleated formation, HEPA filters capture a great deal more dust and dirt than a standard air conditioner air filter, which can benefit your AC.

Items to Note

Certain HEPA filters can restrict air flow, so it’s important to work with a professional to understand which HEPA filter is best for your system. In addition, HEPA filters need to be changed approximately every 3 months in order to be effective.

HEPA filters can be great air filtration systems for your home in Lutz. However, as noted above, it may take some work to determine which HEPA will work best for you and your air conditioner.

If you are interested in what a HEPA filter can do for the overall air quality in your home, call the experts at Ierna’s Heating & Cooling today.

An air conditioning system can last for many years, but in order for it have the longest lifespan possible, it requires two things:

Regular preventive maintenance done annually

Prompt repairs whenever necessary

If an air conditioner’s repair needs are neglected and it is left without routine maintenance visits, it will not last long. Air conditioners that never receive inspections or required repairs will rarely work for more than a couple of years before breaking down and needing a replacement—and they will start to perform inefficiently and waste energy long before that.

To keep up with regular maintenance and repairs, rely on a professional company like Ierna’s Heating & Cooling.

We offer emergency repairs and a plan for regular air conditioning maintenance in Wesley Chapel, FL. Contact us today to set up an appointment for a maintenance visit to get you started.

When you need repairs and when you need maintenance

If your air conditioner is showing any of the following signs, you need to call for repairs right away:

All of these indicate a serious problem within the AC that will need a repair professional to address. When anything seems seriously wrong with the air conditioner, bring in repair experts.

Maintenance is something you should arrange to have done the same time each year, regardless of the condition of the system. The best time for maintenance is during the spring so you can prepare the AC for the stresses of summer. However, there is never a bad time for maintenance if the system is overdue, especially in Florida where the weather remains hot for much of the year.

You shouldn’t arrange maintenance if something seems actively wrong with an air conditioner; this is the time for a repair call. However, during maintenance, a technician will be able to tell you if there are repairs you should schedule soon.

Sign up for maintenance

If too long has passed since you had a maintenance session from a professional—or if you have never had maintenance at all—then you should call an HVAC company with a maintenance program as soon as possible. It’s never too late to get started, and it will help avoid numerous repair calls in the future.

Ierna’s Heating & Cooling has a program for air conditioning maintenance in Wesley Chapel, FL that will help you get a long service life from your AC. Call us for more details. You can always reach us for emergency same-day service when it’s time for repairs.

Because the ductwork that provides air to your home is hidden from view, you may not think about it very much at all. However, ducts are vulnerable to many different repair problems and may account for a good portion of excessive energy costs, limited air supply to your home, or poor air quality. It’s important to maintain ducts by scheduling professional maintenance, duct cleaning, and duct sealing whenever necessary. If you’ve never thought about scheduling ductwork service before, here are three common problems with homeowners’ ductwork in Wesley Chapel.

1. Leaks

The ducts of a typical home may be responsible for a large portion of energy loss due to loose connections or holes. Ductwork is installed in pieces, so it’s not surprising that connections may loosen or break apart over time. However, most homeowners don’t take the proper steps to keep their ducts free of leaks, such as scheduling regular maintenance and calling for duct sealing by an air conditioning specialist. Sealing leaks may significantly increase efficiency and allow for even cooling throughout your home.

2. Dirty Ducts

Indoor air quality is important to many homeowners, but dirty ducts can let a number of pollutants into your home which may exacerbate allergies or irritate sinuses. Professional duct cleaning is an important service you should schedule about once every three years or so, although this number often varies depending on a variety of factors.

3. Faulty Installation

Well-designed ductwork should be built for maximum efficiency and to provide the perfect amount of airflow in and out of your home. Placement and sealing are also important to prevent outside elements and heat from getting into the ducts. Unfortunately, many ducts are designed poorly, and you may notice a loss of conditioned air and higher cooling costs if your ducts are not installed by an experienced HVAC technician. Before duct installation, it’s important to find a quality technician for a custom ductwork design that will provide optimized efficiency and performance.

The ducts are a component of your central air conditioner that deserve a lot more attention than they are given.

When you need installation or maintenance for ductwork in Wesley Chapel, call the trained and certified technicians at Ierna’s Heating & Cooling today!